Caterpillar gun-carriage



E. RIMAILHO.

ACATERPILLAR GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, |917- x 1,332,067. Patented Feb. 24,1920.

SHEETS-sum1.

' w1 TNEsJEs INVENToR M Y Emz'e Rz'maiho WMC@ ATTORNEYIS` E. RIMAILHO. CATERPILLAR GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27|19I7.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. RIMAILHO.

CATERPILLAR GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED luLv 2z. |911.

-1 ,332,067 l l Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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fief/en for Wiz/ej? 217ml/ /m L? www barns a EMILE RIMAILHO. OF PARIS, FRANCE, IASSIGNOR TO COMPAGNIE DES FORGES ET ACIERIES DE LA MARINE ET DHOMECOURT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

CATERPILLAR GUN-CARRIAGE.

Application filed July 27,

Be it known that I, EMILE RIMAiLHo, a citizen of the French Republic, and residing in Paris, F rance, 9S Rue de la Victoire, consulting engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and' Relating to Caterpillar Gun-Carriages, of which the following is a complete specification.

This l invention relates to a 'caterpillar gun-carriage forming a complete artillery unit so constructed as 'to permit of removal `actuated by driving wheels moved by a motor located on the caterpillar gun carriage itself or on a trailery wagon, the chains being located on thefchassis, one cross bar ofwhich forms a gun-carriage pivot for the top carriage supporting the trunnions ofthe cradle'of the gun.

In the accompanying' drawing. which illustrates by way of example one constructional form -of the invention Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal, section of a caterpillar gun-carriage forming the subject-matter of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section along Q-Q of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan, the gun being brought into a horizontal position, a portion of the structure being broken awaiY to show the details of construction.

Figs. 4 and 5 show that. motor on a trailer wagon.

The Caterpillar gun carriage is formed by two gun-carriage cheek beams 1 connected to one another in front and at the back by cross bars so as to form a longitudinal opening between the fore part and the rear. These beams are provided with lateral frameworks 2 provided with rollers 3 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

1917. seriai No. 183,199.

attheir lower part. These rollers roll on chains 4 of the caterpillar type actuated by independent driving wheels 5 at the back and kept taut by the independent front wheels 6 which serve as chain stretching wheels. The lateral frameworks may form a sliding path for the upper parts of the chains.

The motor system represented as actuating the driving Wheels 5 consists of two receiving motors 7 connected with the driving lvheels 5 by speed-reducing trains of gear wheels 8. 9 is the driving. pinion, .and '1.0 'the axle of the driving'wheels.

The electric current necessary for the re- Iceiving motors 7 is supplied by a generating set. mounted on a wagon connected by a pivot-bolt to the rear of the caterpillar gun- ;carriage. The current supply cables are divided into two groups 12 and 13, one for 'fthe right-hand motor and the other for the left-hand' motor. They are inclosed in fleXi- Lble tubes so as to be protected against any deterioration and to be able nevertheless to `#follow all the obliquities of the caterpillar ,gun carriage with respect to the wagon cary rying the generating set. 'Y i The two cheek beams of the gun-carriage 2 l are furthermore united by two fioors, below the front and the rear, in order to proftect the internal mechanism. and by an`upper floor 14 which supports at the back the "receiving motors 7.-k This upper floor 14 'reinforced opposite to the driving wheels by a gun-carriage pivot carrying member 15, upon whichthe front of the carriage 21 rests and pivots about the pivot 16. The :carriage is provided at the front with a circular claw 17 that engages the front portion of the pivot carrying member 15 in order to relieve the pivot of the carriage of the'recoil forces, as well as stanchions supporting the trunnions 18 of the cradle 19 of the gun. The fore part of the top carriage is formed of two cheeks 20 resting at their ends on the upper Hoor 14. This top carriage 21 is provided with a gun-laying device operated by a screw 22 located' laterally to the rear transom 23 of the top carriage and by the hand wheel 24 through the medium of bevel gearings and a connecting rod. This screw engages in a pivoting nut 25 mounted on the upper floor 14 in such a way that the nut` can follow the traversing angles of the top carriage. The cradle v19 resting and oscillating between the cheeks 20 of the to carriage envelops a part o f the rear of tie gun. It incloses the recoil brake 26 the purpose of which is to limit the y recoil of the cannon and to insure its return to tiring position and it guides the gun in its. recoil movement. To one of the pivots '18 of the cradle 19 is fixed the toothed sector 27 for elevating the gun (Figs. 2 and 3) operated by the worm and hand wheel 28 the function of which is to give the angle of aim to the gun. The guiding of the gun inthe cradle during itsl sliding is effected by the rear part of the gun in the beginning of the recoil and then by the front hoop. l The opening? comprised between the guncarriage cheeks permits of the movements of oscillation ofthe cradle and gun and the ecoil of the gun atityhe various angles of T li caterpillar gun-carriage may be pro-",- vided with trails and spades 29. i The movement that controls the laying permits of the fine adjustments for firing'. n order to effect a change of objective the caterpillar gun-carriage itself is actuated in such a way as to make it pivot about the rear of one of its chains in order to put it' into the new direction. That Ais to say, the Whole caterpillar carriage may be moved, for large changes of aiming. l The motor/of the generating set which: has been assumed to be located on a trailerI Wagon, may be placed on the caterpillar gun-'- carriage itself, and may be an electric, hydrocarbon, steam or other motor. I

The first alternative-is illustrated in Figs.i 4 and 5, in which the motor 30, for instance,-f a hydrocarbon motor, placed on a trailer;` Wagon 3l controls a dynamo 32 which feeds the electric motor 7 mounted on the carriage itself, While in Figs. Gand 7 the motor 30 controlling the dynamo 32 is placed on the .carriage itself, together with the dynamo 32.

What I claim' is: y

l. A caterpillar gun carriage, comprising a chassis having a longitudinalcentral opening forming a gun-recoil space, caterpillar chains on each side of the chassis, mea-ns for propelling each of the chains independently, a gun carriage pivotally mounted on the body of the chassis directly in front of saidl opening to oscillate laterally, means for oscillating the same, a gun cradle mounted pivotally on the carriage to oscillate within the opening of the chassis, and means for oscillating said cradle.

2. A caterpillar gun carriage, comprising a chassis having a longitudinal central opening forming a space for a gun, caterpillar chains on each side of the chassis to roll tl1ereon, means for propelling each of the front and rear chain wheels carried by the chassis, means for imparting independent motion to the rear chain wheels, a caterpillar chain on each side of the chassis from the rear wheel to the front wheel, rollers carried by the chassis and bearing on the chains, an axle for the rear chain wheels, a gun-carriage pivotally mounted to swing lateral-ly onthe chassls, said gun-carriage having means for engaging the chassis so as to relieve the pivot of the carriage from strain during the discharge of the gun, means for swinging the carriage on the chassis, a gun cradle pivotally mounted in the carriage to oscillate in the longitudinal opening of the chassis, and means for oscillating the cradle in the carriage.

4. A caterpillar gun carriage, comprising a chassis having a longitudinal central opening forming the recoil space for a gun, front and rear chain Wheels carried by the chassis, a caterpillar chain on each side of the chassis from the rear wheel to the front wheel, rollers carried by the chassis and bearing on the chains, an axle for the rear chain wheels, a gun-carriage free to swing laterally on the chassis, said gun-carriage having means for engaging the chassis so as to prevent the carriage from moving longitudinally during the discharge of the gun, means for controlling the swinging movement vof the carriage on the chassis, a gun cradle pivotally mounted in the carriage to oscillate in t 1` longitudinal opening of the chassis, anch ieans for controlling the oscillatory movement of the cradle in the gun carriage, an electric motor for operating the front chain wheels, a motor controlling said electric motor and placed on a trailer wagon.'

In the presence of two witnesses:

JEAN BRUYERON, Davis B. L vis. 

